WELCOMING A NEW MEMBER OF THE IMPERIAL HOUSEHOLD

***In the Imperial Palace of a Continent called *Eclipse of the Ocean*..

***On planet Gieă..

..

Light across all spectrums are spread across the high roof of a seemingly overly-spaced square room with the lighting elements that looks just like an aurora preceding over the mountains at night time.

The aurora abouve the room seems seperated from reality without truly giving light nor staining the silent darkness of the room by its presence.

Candles are arranged on the room space with the positions of a maze like array. Some candles are positioned across the edges of the square room while being upheld by luxurious dragoniod stands.

These orderly candles dutifully carry lightly swaying orange flames while giving off barely noticable smoke though the lighting of their flames once more fails to bring more than a stary spark of light to counter the darkness within the room.

Light is obviously not the purpose of the lit candles but their flames does bring about faint stream of smoke that carries an odd scent which seems to be their primary purpose.

The mild candle's scent can only perceived by one's spirit and its effects is to bring about a sense of calm.

The room is both eerie and peaceful with all of these arrangement though the peaceful vibes present far outweight the eerie vibes.

Lying the centre of the dark square room with over sixty square feet in width and length sits an elaborate oval royal bed.

One glance at this bed would tell any soul that it belongs in the chambers of nobility as the bed has its frame made up entirely of a burly crystal-ice material.

The bed frame's crystaline material has been masterfully carved into realistic still-life images of flood dragons flowing across the bed. Although stationary.. the flood dragons seemed to be chasing one another around the bed and their eyes are crafted form round blue-black marbles.

The settings of this bed is rich and calm. Adding further to the eerieness of the room, the stands of the bed are lightly immersed in something that seems out of place for such a setting,.. water.

Softly glowing water gathers as a shallow pool and surrounds over a meter radius of the bed. The still water rests in a perfectly tranquil state that seems to mirror the face of the person who is currently laying peacefully on the bed's white sheets.

Dressed simply in a loose one-piece white gown, a slender woman with a bulging stomach gently takes in soft breaths as she steadies her mind for what is to come.

This is not her first time through this process.. infact, this is her third time though experience does not at all reduce the anxiety in her heart by one bit.

They call it the Curse of Monoliths.

A harsh curse placed on every human, elf and mammal on the planet.

No matter how powerful they are, they are all reduced back to their frail mortal state at times of delivery as they are cursed to feel the pain and the tearing agony while escorting a new life into the world.

Gently stroking her belly with closed eyes the woman on the bed looks as tranquil as the silence in the dark room but then suddenly,.. the soft candle flames in the room gives off an odd flicker.

With a ripple, another woman steps through the dark walls of the room then into the room's space as she walks gracefully towards the bed.

No surprise or change is shown on the face of the woman on the bed as she just keeps on stroking her belly in silence.

The new-comer stops walking at the edge of the shallow water pool surrounding the bed before waiting patiently without speaking.

Both of the arriving woman's hands are positioned gracefully in front of her flat stomach which is hugged firmly by a stiff night-blue material with golden patterns laced into the fabric.

The fashion behind the woman's dress comes off both simple yet captivating as a pair of black pants complements her sleeved dress without looking too casual nor too exquisite.

Finally, the woman on the bed slowly flutters her eyelids open as she looks toward her ever stoic counsel while trying to be as casual as she can manage.

"Is he coming?.", She asks with her pale brown eyes on her Counsel's calm figure.

"The Imperial Emperor sends his goodwill. He wishes you a smooth delivery as well as the good health of the child and the mother.", The counsel reports with a fluid tone and bearing that shows of a messenger dutifully performing her task.

The woman on the bed gives a small sigh to her Counsel's monotonous words as she seems to sink deeper into the embrace of her bed.

What is she expecting?.

It's not like he he had come the last two times?..

It's not like she's that important to him?.

She is just one among his sixty-four concubines and she is not even among the top ten in the ranks of most beautiful nor is she amongst the most talented or most influential.

Infact, considering how ordinary she is compared to the rest it is truly a wonder how she even managed to get into his circle.

Deep in thought, the formerly tranquil water surrounding the glassy bed stands ripples gently as a physical reflection of the thinking woman's mental state.

"Your Elegance, I really despise the thought of you worrying right before delivery. It may affect the procedure of the birth of a genius.", The counsel says calmly in her usual even tone though her master recognises it as the counsel's own way of trying to give her hope.

The pregnant woman on the bed snickers softly in self resignation, what genius!. Her last two children are the most polite versions of average talents based on the Imperial standards.

To the rural outside cultivation world, these average children of hers can very much hold their own grounds as high talents though to the true top powers, they could only be described as one word.. Trash!.

To the true powers, her past children are not worth sparing a glance much less a second glance and as their mother, knowing this fact hurts ever so deeply as she cannot help but blame herself for their fortunes or rather.. misfortunes.

She was just some overconfident princess of one of the low-end clans. She was naive at the time and now, she sees that version of herself as someone who did not know the boundaries between heaven and earth.

She had naively fell in love with a domineering prince on a mission and she was lucky enough to be called his 13th concubine after a night fun which led to a pregnancy that was later miscarried.

She only knew the true difference between her status and that of her prince charming when he had showed her the true magnitude of the outside world and the portion of it he had claimed for himself.

At that time, she was terrified at the magnitudes of powers he commanded and then the already vast gap suddenly their social standings suddenly becomes incomparably wider when her prince becomes a True Imperial Son and then later.. The Imperial Emperor of the Continent.

This chain of transistion would obviously leave her as just a lucky princess in his story. She has no special influence or talent to count on. To the true powers, her bloodline is beyond mediocre thus leaving her offsprings with nothing but medium grade talent.

Even miracle elixirs cannot make her body to accommodate half the potential of the Emperor's Imperial grade bloodline!.

Without being able to accommodate his potentials, it is of no wonder that her offsprings would lack some of the characteristics that makes Imperials.. Imperials.

In reflection of her emotions, the water below the quiet woman's bed continuously ripples from different directions but then, the woman gives out a sharp exhale to purge her mind of these burdening thoughts.

Thinking about all of this wouldn't help the process of delivery so she calms her mind before giving a calm order to her patiently waiting Counsel.

"Bring the Imperial mid-wives in.", She calmly orders while blinking away her thoughts.

"Yes your Elegance.", The Counsel responds without hesitation as she gives a soft bow before walking out of the room through the walls.

A minute later, three women walk into the room through the walls. The new arrivals are clothed in purple and white nun-like attires.

Stepping in, these women give respectful deep bows to the lady on the bed even though she seems not to pay any attention to them.

"Greetings your Elegance. We are here to guide you through the process of child birth.", The slightly aged woman who is positioned at the middle of the three mid-wives says while still bowing her head as if to show her total submission towards a member of the Imperial household.

Although, a seemingly un-favoured consort is nothing to the top powers,.. to the middle and low ranked powers these figures are still more than powerful enough to determine their life and deaths in a thousand lifetimes by just a single word.

"Let's begin.", The consort on the bed replies curtly to the midwife as she grips hold of the silky ropes already positioned above her.

The mid wife bows a bit lower for a second time before raising her head as she walks towards Her Elegance with her assistants following behind her.

A couple minutes passes by in silence then soon,.. a scream resounds through the room as the formerly still water below the bed performs boiling motions!.

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